Quilt Shop Gathers More than Fabric

I didn’t fully appreciate the name of , the Woodinville quilt shop, until I read a small sign on display at the front of the store. It lists several definitions for the word “gathering,” among them:

• “Collection of something; the collecting of people or objects into a group
• Drawing on something to summon up energies, courage or strength from within
• Bringing close; drawing somebody or something close
• Sewing folds in cloth; a series of folds in fabric.”

For proprietor Susan Webster, it’s that gathering – of connections and creativity, of community, that matters most. “It’s not about the fabric,” she says, paraphrasing the title of cyclist Lance Armstrong’s biography. “It’s about the people, the friendship.”

She seems to have found a winning approach, as the shop is approaching its 10th anniversary; in 2004, Quilt Sampler magazine named Gathering Fabric one of the top ten quilt shops in the country.

Webster emphasizes the importance of teaching – through classes, one-on-one consultation, and the creation of opportunities for peer support – to her business. “We really are selling that support, friendship, comfort,” she says, adding that she’s seen lasting friendships develop over the classroom tables in the back of the store.

Of course, when you first walk into the shop, it’s the fabric you see. Bolts of colorful yardage line the walls, smaller cuts of fabric and assembled kits cover the tables, and finished quilts hang from the ceiling – a veritable feast for the eyes. It’s “a lot of eye candy,” admits Webster.

Hang around for a few minutes and you will hear Webster and her staff giving shoppers individual attention and advice on how to use that fabric. “My job is to make you successful in your quilting,” she explains, adding that you don’t have to be a seasoned quilter to enjoy the shop. Her favorite part of her job is seeing the pride of someone who has successfully completed a project.

Who are her customers? In general, they fall into one of two categories, says Webster, who estimates she knows 90 percent of them by first name. They tend to be either young professionals or mothers who never learned to sew but want to, or women 45-65 years old, many of who are looking to transfer sewing skills they learned at a young age to a new endeavor.

And what do they sew? According to Webster, everything from your grandmother’s traditional quilt patterns to personalized quilts commemorating a family member’s milestone to one-of-kind contemporary art quilt creations.

“There’s so much talent in this area,” she adds.

Webster left a career in nursing to open Gathering Fabric in 2002. It’s not surprising she turned to quilting when looking for something new, as her mother and both grandmothers sewed. “I’ve got that gene,” she laughs. In testament to that personal history, her grandmother’s wicker sewing basket is on display in the shop, and her Victorian crazy quilt is there as well.

History – personal and community – is something that interests Webster. That’s part of what lead her to spearhead an effort, through the store, to create a quilt based on the “Greater Woodinville Coloring Book” by Helen McMahon, which documents the history of Woodinville. The quilt will be donated to the Woodinville Heritage Society upon the opening of the DeYoung Museum later this year.

Back to those definitions of the word “gathering”… The more time I spent with Webster, and in her store, the more I realized how relevant they all are to her endeavor. And, how much fun it would be to be a part of the gathering she has created.